20150805011819A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · MD Helicopters 369E · August 5, 2015

Date: August 5, 2015 · 22:30 local
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: 5GCL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N43792
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA15LA217
Reported as: MD Helicopters 369E
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20R/2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 933 total367 in this make and model54 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot notified of wildfire burning one half mile behind his residence. Hooked bambi bucket to the rotorcraft and dipped water from beaver lake to drop on fire. Made 10-15 drops, went for another recon, noticed several minor hotspots. Was coordinating with ground crews who were fighting the fires. Returned to drop more water and on the second bucket fill lost orientation, rotor contacted the water surface on the right side, aircraft flipped and sank. Pilot exited the aircraft and swam to shore, hiked to his home and called 911 to report.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT NOTIFIED OF WILDFIRE BURNING ONE HALF MILE BEHIND HIS RESIDENCE. HOOKED BAMBI BUCKET TO THE ROTORCRAFT AND DIPPED WATER FROM BEAVER LAKE TO DROP ON FIRE. MADE 10-15 DROPS, WENT FOR ANOTHER RECON, NOTICED SEVERAL MINOR HOTSPOTS. WAS COORDINATING WITH GROUND CREWS WHO WERE FIGHTING THE FIRES. RETURNED TO DROP MORE WATER AND ON THE SECOND BUCKET FILL LOST ORIENTATION, ROTOR CONTACTED THE WATER SURFACE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AND SANK. PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SWAM TO SHORE, HIKED TO HIS HOME AND CALLED 911 TO REPORT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA15LA217Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWhitefish, MTThe pilot’s failure to maintain altitude and a level attitude while hovering over water at night during an external load operation, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor contacting the surface of the water.Aug 5, 2015 · Substantial damage